Low-income mothers' decisions regarding when and why to introduce solid foods to their infants: influencing factors

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M Horodynski1, Beth Olson, Mary Jo Arndt

  • 1College of Nursing, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI 48824, USA. millie@msu.edu

Journal of Community Health Nursing
|June 15, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Mothers

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Infant feeding practices are crucial for preventing chronic diseases like asthma, obesity, and diabetes.
  • The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends introducing solid foods between 4-6 months of age.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the beliefs and attitudes of Medicaid-enrolled mothers regarding early solid food introduction and infant feeding behaviors.

Main Methods:

  • Six focus groups (N=23) were conducted with Black and Caucasian mothers of infants under one year old.
  • The Theory of Planned Behavior guided the focus group questions and thematic analysis.

Main Results:

  • Key themes included maternal knowledge of infant feeding, perceived applicability of guidelines, and preferred information sources for feeding decisions.
  • Mothers' understanding and application of infant feeding recommendations varied.

Conclusions:

  • Findings highlight the need for tailored educational programs to inform mothers about delaying solid food introduction.
  • Addressing maternal knowledge and perceptions is key to promoting optimal infant feeding practices.

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